146 Naval War of 1812 



(for he did not use his carronades at all for the first 

 half-hour) 62 was so very rapid that it seemed as 

 if the ship was on fire ; his broadsides were delivered 

 with almost twice the rapidity of those of the En 

 glishman. 63 The latter soon found he could not play 

 at long bowls with any chance of success ; and, hav 

 ing already erred either from timidity or bad judg 

 ment, Captain Garden decided to add rashness to the 

 catalogue of his virtues. Accordingly he bore up, 

 and came down end on toward his adversary, with 

 the wind on his port quarter. The States now 

 (10.15) laid her maintopsail aback, and made heavy 

 play with her long guns, and, as her adversary came 

 nearer, with her carronades also. The British ship 

 would reply with her starboard guns, hauling up to 

 do so; as she came down, the American would ease 

 off, run a little way and again come to, keeping 

 up a terrific fire. As the Mecedonian bore down to 

 close, the chocks of all her forecastle guns (which 

 were mounted on the outside) were cut away ; 64 her 

 fire caused some damage to the American's rig 

 ging, but hardly touched her hull, while she herself 

 suffered so heavily both alow and aloft that she 

 gradually dropped to leeward, while the American 

 forereached on her. Finding herself ahead and to 

 windward, the States tacked and ranged up under 

 her adversary's lee, when the latter struck her col 

 ors at 11.15, just an hour and a half after the begin 

 ning of the action. 65 



68 Letter of Commodore Decatur. 63 James, vi, 169. 



64 Letter of Captain Carden. 

 65 Letter of Com modore Decatur. 



